These hostess gift ideas will make them feel so appreciated
Whether you’re heading to a holiday party or invited for a weekend visit, you’ll want to make sure you don’t show up empty-handed. Hostess gifts may be a little old-fashioned, but that’s because they really are a classic move that will never go out of style. Thanking your hostess (or host, of course) for their hospitality and any work they’ve put into making you, their guest, feel welcome, is always considerate. Although the sentiment has never gotten old, the gift itself changes from decade to decade. So, you’ll need some hostess gift ideas, especially with the upcoming holiday season.
These carefully curated gifts will please any hosts, even your hard-to-shop-for-sister-in-law. They’ll be welcome additions to their home, pantry, and every day, plus many of them actually make their next event that much easier to put together. Scroll down for our favorite hostess gift ideas for 2023.
TBH Vineyards Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
A bottle of wine is always a good idea when it comes to a hostess gift. This wonderful Pinot Noir is made from 100% estate-grown organic grapes from Small Vines on the Sonoma Coast and is a full-bodied wine with hints of cherries, a floral scent, and a lovely lingering flavor.
Goat milk is known for its moisturizing qualities. We love gifting this soap and lotion set especially since its fragrance-free and includes a counter caddy.
Glassware with a city map in 22-carat gold leaf is sure to endear your host to you even when your kid locks themselves in the bathroom in the middle of the party. Choose from 22 popular cities.
San Francisco mom Samira Khoshnood created Superstitchous while on maternity leave after the birth of her first child. We love gifting these cozy blankets to pretty much anyone. Especially with a variety of charming prints and sizes, you can't go wrong.
Made of long-lasting soy wax and hand-poured in California, these are a chic-meets-cheeky offering. There are a bunch of different single and bundle options to fit your favorite hostess's personality.
The perfect gift wrap for that bouquet of flowers you can grab on your way over; use a recycled jar, a can or a simple vase and make it dressy. Coated paper stock in lots of different color choices.
A perfect trio of cheese from one of the country's best cheesemakers. Includes a decadent triple cream Mt Tam, funky and buttery Red Hawk, and versatile aged Wagon Wheel.
Filter out sulfites with this simple wine filter and say goodbye to wine headaches. Simply add one to each glass you pour and in 3 minutes, you'll have a clean-tasting filtered glass of your favorite grapes.
—Kate Loweth, Amber Guetebier, Gabby Cullen, & Kate Cartia
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This Advent calendar is a top seller at Trader Joe’s for the holiday season
Run, don’t walk to your closest Trader Joe’s. The grocer’s annual 12 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar is back for 2023!
Our editors spied the famed Trader Joe’s 12 Days of Beauty on Nov. 8, and it’s packed with plenty of must-have products. This coveted calendar tends to sell out before Thanksgiving, so if you’re in the market for one, act fast.
As soon as you bring this cutie into your car, the dreamy aroma of citrus will take over and you’ll be glad you nabbed it.
What will you find inside Trader Joe’s 12 Days of Beauty Advent calendar?
Lavender bath salts
Brazil nut hair mask
Gingerbread cookie moisturizing lip balm
Brown sugar carob lip scrub
Sweet nectarine scented ultra moisturizing hand cream
You can find the calendar in the beauty aisle of your local Trader Joe’s for $19.99—but not for long. This one is very popular!
While we were there, we also spied this year’s 12 Days of Scented Candles Advent Calendar for $29.99. We love this option along with the chocolate Advent calendars priced at just $1.99 and the Advent calendars for pets.
Keep an eye out for other holiday favorites that have been trickling in. All the elves on your list will want a bottle of Peppermint, Gingerbread, or Egg Nog Liqueur—perfect for all those holiday cocktails you’ll be mixing up. Felted wool trivets have been hitting the shelves, along with dog toys, holiday snacks, and the scented candle trio.
Set your baby up for a good night’s sleep with these helpful tips for establishing a bedtime routine you’ll both enjoy.
If baby ain’t sleeping, ain’t nobody sleeping. To set the whole family up for a better night’s rest, implement a bedtime routine. A consistent routine is soothing and helps your child understand what’s coming next. Read on for tips on how to create a calming daily ritual that will send baby to bed without all the fuss(iness).
A consistent bedtime routine signals to your baby’s brain that it’s time to go to sleep. The predictable pattern and timing can ease your baby into a calm state that allows them to fall asleep more easily. It’s great bonding time and may even help with the sleep regressions that are a normal part of baby development. Once you’ve established a routine, it can also help other people put baby down when you won’t be there for bedtime.
What Age to Start
A good age to start is once your baby begins to show a pattern of sleeping and wakefulness. This can occur as early as 6 to 8 weeks old and as late as 4 months of age. Before 6 weeks, it’s not likely that your newborn will have any kind of established sleep schedule for a set bedtime. If you’ve missed these windows, it’s beneficial for a baby of any age to have a bedtime routine, so get started now.
The first thing you want to consider when picking a bedtime is baby’s schedule. Look for signs of sleepiness, like fussiness, yawning and sucking on fingers or a pacifier. Notice what time these signs appear and figure on beginning your routine 30 to 60 minutes before that so baby doesn’t get overtired during the routine. You’ll also want to consider your family’s schedule, taking into account when everyone is home from work or school and when you typically eat dinner. Generally, that means starting between 6 and 8 p.m.
Consistency Is Key
The best bedtime routines are short, simple and most of all consistent, lasting from between 20 minutes to an hour at the most. The most important thing is to make it a true routine, so that it’s the same every night and occurs at the same time. Ideally, it’ll happen in the same location as well, like in the room with baby’s crib. If you expect to have differences in sleep locations, make sure whatever you include in the routine can travel with you.
What to Include
Keep it simple and relaxing. You can include a bath if baby gets one every night. Next, a massage with lotion—like Burt’s Bees Baby Nourishing Lotion—and then a fresh diaper, pajamas, and a swaddle or wearable blanket. Cuddle your little one while you sing a quiet song or look at a short book. Dim the lights to continue the calming vibe. Nursing or bottle feeding is helpful for lasting fullness before bed. Any quiet activity that gets baby ready for bed and relaxes them works, as long as it doesn’t put them fully to sleep.
You’ll want to put your child to bed drowsy but not asleep. That will give them the chance to learn how to self-soothe and fall asleep on their own. Ambient noise can help with this as well as drown out any other household noises while they settle down. Try the Sleep Sheep from Cloud B that attaches directly to the crib. You can give them a gentle rub before quietly slipping out of the room.
You may need to tweak your timing and activities until you get into a good groove, but avoid big changes at first to let your little one get used to the routine. It’s also likely that adjustments will need to be made as your infant grows and develops. Any change in the daytime or non-bedtime night activities, like eliminating a nap or dropping a feeding, may call for a change in the bedtime routine. If baby seems fussy, it may signal that it’s time to move bedtime earlier. A true routine takes time to work, but with consistency and little persistence, it should pay off with better sleep for baby and you.
You may know them for their diapers and wipes bundles (and their famous parent co-founders, Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard), but did you know that Hello Bello just released a handful of brand-new products just in time for the holidays? From new winter-themed diaper patterns to a brand-new diaper line for older kiddos, read on for three new and cool releases from Hello Bello to put in your shopping cart now.
Training Pants
Hello Bello just released their line of training pants. Like their regular diapers, these pull-on training pants are made without lotion, fragrance, phthalates and latex, and feature premium leg cuffs to prevent leakage and a core liner that's absorbent and plant-derived. They're stretchy, comfy and perfect for kiddos starting the potty training journey (or may not be night-trained). Bundle to mix and match your designs.
It's not just baby that Hello Bello has in mind. Their Everywhere Balm and Lip Balm can be used for both kiddo and you. They make great stocking stuffers or gifts and will leave your lips, their cap and everyone's skin ultra nourished, even if this extra dry winter weather.
They may not know what Santa Claus is yet, but they can still get in the holiday spirit with Hello Bello's new winter diaper patterns. Choose from cute designs like Santa's jolly reindeer helpers to arctic whale and seal polar pals to dancing polar bears. You'll love the colorful and festive designs, which may make the multiple diaper changes per day just a tad bit more bearable.
Are you getting ready to celebrate a new baby in your family or friend-circle? With so many baby gift options available, choosing the perfect one can be daunting. Hello Bello has the unique but practical gifts that are perfect for the new moms and dads in your life.
Hello Bello is there to help parents navigate life’s messiest, stinkiest most unmissable joy – parenthood.
Break in Case of Baby Kit ($29.98): This kit includes Hello Bello’s size 1 diapers (35ct), plant-based baby wipes (60ct), 10oz. Shampoo, 10oz. Bubble Bath, 8.5oz Body Lotion and 4oz. diaper rash cream.
Diaper Cake ($34.97): It’s a centerpiece and a gift. The Diaper Cake features Hello Bello’s super-soft diapers in the classic ABC’s design with other surprise baby essentials tucked inside. Includes 10 ct. plant-based baby wipes, 2oz. shampoo + body wash, 2oz. bubble bath, and three fun signs to personalize the cake (“It’s a Boy!”, “It’s a Girl!”, “It’s a Baby!”).
Hello Bello is all about growing with your family. The brand recently released a line of kids’ specific products because they know kids are not babies. Now they are happy to announce the launch of their new training pants line.
Potty training will be more pleasant with Hello Bello’s cottony-soft stretchiness paired with cute “big kid” designs and premium leg cuffs to prevent leakage both day and night.
These training pants give your little one more control with their easy on and off fit that is designed to look and feel more like underwear including elastic that doesn’t leak or sag. These reimagined potty trainers feature premium leak guards for active kiddos and stress-free up and down use with disposal tape for quick cleanup.
Hello Bello’s new training pants are made of chlorine-free fluff pulp from sustainably managed forests, a unique high-performance Spherical Super Absorbent Polymer, polypropylene/ polyethylene/ polyester nonwoven fibers, plant-derived PLA nonwoven fiber, spandex strands and an elastomeric film. Made without lotion, latex, artificial fragrance, phthalates, chlorine processing, TBT, DBT and MBT.
Fall means warm sweaters, pumpkin spice and adorable new diaper prints from Hello Bello. Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard’s family brand has just launched several fun fall patterns. These adorable diapers will keep those baby booties stylish and dry all fall long.
Timed to All Hallows Eve, these soft and stretchy diapers are decorated with patterns featuring candy corn, pumpkins, batts and ghosts – for kids of all sizes. The cute new designs of the diapers are made without lotion, fragrance, phthalates and latex making them hypoallergenic, eco-friendly and effective.
Hello Bello’s diapers are super soft, stretchy, snug and comfy. Stretchy side panels allow freedom of movement, while the diaper’s inner and outer layers are super soft, with a snug fit, for supreme comfort. Hello Bello’s diapers are made without lotion, fragrance, phthalates and latex making them hypoallergenic, eco-friendly and effective. Their cutting-edge, plant-derived absorbent core line is super absorbent to help protect against any leakage.
The soft, stretchy and super-absorbent diaper material is specially designed for supreme comfort to keep babies and parents happy. The super cute patterns are sure to bring a smile to your face.
Get the whole family in the Halloween spirit with Hello Bello’s cute Jack o’ Lantern Box that comes with each diaper bundle starting at just $65 for 7 packs of diapers on HelloBello.com. Customers can also get 20% off their first bundle + the Jack o’Lantern Box, plus choice of Halloween Diaper Designs using the code SPOOKY!
The first three months of life are often referred to as the fourth trimester when your little one is still adjusting to life outside of the womb. During this adjustment, baby is depending on you to lead in building healthy habits – including healthy sleep habits.
At first you may be overwhelmed with your little one’s irregular sleep patterns. While it will be a gradual shift to sleeping more consistently at night, it will happen. So, how can you help support your little one through this transition during the first few months of life?
Educate yourself on newborn and infant sleep patterns. You can expect your baby to sleep between 16-18 hours per day for the first month and 11-15 hours per day the following two months. Your little one’s longest stretch of sleep will probably be between 2-4 hours at first, increasing as time goes on. Remember, even though having a familiar routine is important, try to be flexible instead of adhering to a strict schedule these first few months.
Learn about feeding patterns. Did you know that feeding on demand – whether by breast or bottle – promotes healthy sleep? You can expect your little one to feed 8-12 times per day. As we mentioned above, be flexible with your little one’s feeding needs. Babies tend to cluster feed – again, whether by breast or bottle – around the 2nd day, 2nd week and 2nd month of life.
Pay attention to sleep cues. Some cues may seem obvious – yawning, rubbing their eyes, heavy eyelids or interacting less than usual – but when you yourself are sleep deprived, it can feel impossible to tell what your baby wants. Your baby may exhibit one or more of these sleep cues, or may have other indicators of their own. Just pay attention and as time goes on you will learn what they are.
Consider how surroundings affect sleep. At night, lay your little one down in a dark, quiet room to sleep. During the day, leave lights on and make noises as usual. This will help your little one gravitate toward sleeping at night when the atmosphere is more calm and serene. Also take into consideration how warm or cool the room is since your baby cannot yet regulate their own temperature. Colors, smells and other sensations can also affect their sleep.
Help your little one self-soothe. Your newborn will not be able to self-soothe at first, but swaddling and patting them can help them feel calm and safe as they grow. As you near the third month, begin limiting talking and interacting during sleep times. You may want to begin introducing a pacifier or lovey that will provide comfort as well.
Introduce a routine. Even though your newborn will have their days and nights mixed up at first, just give them time and it will slowly get better. The sooner that you can introduce a routine, the easier it will be for your little one to catch on. Maybe you read a book to your little one before bath time and lotion. Maybe you have a familiar song you sing or a toy that plays music to cue that it’s bedtime. There is no right or wrong, just create a routine that works for you.
Hindi Zeidman is a former infant mental health clinician and the founder of Ollie Swaddle—The Smarter Swaddle that’s made better, feels better, and helps your baby sleep longer and better. The award-winning Ollie also help baby self-calm, reduces colic/fussiness, and prevents overheating through its special patented moisture wicking fabric.
Putting sunscreen on a toddler is about as easy as trying to bathe an angry cat: They squirm. They try to run away. They whine. So what’s a parent to do to protect those baby-soft faces, other than give up entirely and head indoors? We looked around and gathered the best sunscreen application hacks to help you out. Keep reading to see them all.
If you'd rather use lotion sunscreen (which in our opinion is best for an even spread), give your kids novel ways to slap the stuff all over their bodies. Makeup sponges—or even paint brushes—can work well and make sunscreen application fun for kids. Or try this awesome sunscreen applicator that was mom-designed specifically for kids to use themselves.
For applying to faces, if you don't have a stick, try using cotton swabs, cotton balls or even popsicle sticks to help glide on the sunscreen without getting it in the eyes.
Stick sunblocks are great for kids who perpetually scream "I want to do it myself!" And even if they don't do it by themselves, swiping across the nose and cheeks is way easier for mom or dad, too. Since younger kids won't likely get their entire face covered, let alone their bodies, you'll still need to help them spread the stuff on (or use a spray) once they've covered the bulk of their uncovered skin.
Put Long Sleeves and Hats on When Possible
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If you just can't get your squirmy little one to sit still for a proper sunscreen application, at least make sure she's got a hat and sun-protective clothing on to keep her safe, especially during peak sun hours (10 a.m.-2 p.m.).
Make a Game of It
courtesy BabyBum Sunscreen
Kids love making their "best time ever," so try it out with sunscreen application. Set a timer to keep track of how long it takes, or race them yourself! You can also get siblings to apply to each other in a taking-turns (don't get it in the eye) way.
Make It Part of the Routine
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Put the sunblock right by the front door, so that everybody lathers up when they leave the house. The more you make it part of your routine, the easier it will get to get stubborn kiddos in on the game.
Store the tube of sunscreen in a water bottle, in the ice chest.
Double points for creativity here. First, keeping the cream cold will entice kids to dry off long enough for reapplication. Second, keeping the tube of sunscreen stashed in a water bottle will prevent spills.
Do Their Faces While They're Strapped in Their Car Seats.
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That whole squirming toddler thing is not a myth. Consider getting their faces covered properly while they're still strapped into their seats.
Read Stories or Watch Shows That Emphasize Being Safe in the Sun
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It's always good to hammer in little lessons via stories and TV shows that kids will want to read and watch. This PBS-sponsored short about why sunscreen matters is easy for kids to understand. You can also get this "Sun Show" DVD that is packed with fun segments about sun safety. If you'd rather read to your tiny tot, this free eBook from Sun Safe Schools will teach your kids a little about sun safety.
Not only will your wiggle worm be distracted by this adorable "Sunscreen March" on YouTube, but it will also mean that you'll likely be handing her a smartphone, which almost always works to keep kids still.
Hello Bello is known for their family friendly and affordable products. Now they have just launched an adorable new collection of summer diaper designs, introducing over 10 new summer prints. This latest collection features designs such as Li’l Floaters, Tiny Turdles and Blooming Booties.
Hello Bello’s diapers are super soft, stretchy, snug and comfy. Stretchy side panels allow freedom of movement, while the diaper’s inner and outer layers are super soft, with a snug fit, for supreme comfort. Hello Bello’s diapers are made without lotion, fragrance, phthalates and latex making them hypoallergenic, eco-friendly and effective. Their cutting-edge, plant-derived absorbent core line is super absorbent to help protect against any leakage.
Blooming Booties: A diaper garden ready for all your baby’s watering and soiling.
Goin’ Bananas: Extra absorbency for little monkeys, wild monkeys, dirty monkeys… all the monkeys.
Tiny Turdles: Turtle shells and Hello Bello diapers, the perfect 1-2 combo for total booty protection.
Monster Squad: If you think the monsters are scary, wait till you see what’s inside.
Tooty Tweets: Squawk, squawk. A little tropical delight to wrap up baby’s next surprise.
Snacktime: Pack up the picnic basket, load up the kiddos, we’ll handle the leak protection.
Pretty in Pink: It’s a dirty business, we’re just trying to make it a little prettier.
Li’l Floaters: The pool party is starting and your baby’s got the freshest wrappers around.
Colorful Summer: All the colors of summer in a soft, comfy wrapper.
Rainbow Sherbert: Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection, the diapers, the blowouts, the poo.
Hear Our Roars: When there’s a roar under those diapers, Hello Bello brings the protection.
You can find these new designs at Hello Bello or at your local Walmart.